Reflections

I have spent a lot of my life trying to reconcile between hardship and ease. On the one hand, we are told again and again that the straight path is not easy and requires struggle and sacrifice. But on the other hand, as humans we always desire ease. What I have come to realize is that the path will always have challenges, tests and trials. There will be hardships and there will be storms. But, if Allah wills, you can be given ease *within* the hardship. The one who finds refuge in Allah, remains dry—even during the most powerful storm. Outside, it may be raining, but inside the refuge of...

Allah tell us in the Quran that for all things He has created an “appointed term’. This includes our hardships and struggles. They all have a birth and a death. They all have an appointed term. Every situation in our life has an appointed term, after which they come to an end and/or change.
There have been a few periods of my life when this particular ayah has comforted me so much. It is ‘simple’, but so profound:
“And be patient for the decision of your Lord, for indeed you are in Our eyes.” (52:48)
So many powerful lessons:
1. Allah has your situation...

This was the hardest talk I’ve ever had to give…
Leaving Mecca
By: Yasmin Mogahed
When I was 17 years old, I had a dream. I dreamt that I was sitting inside a masjid and a little girl walked up to ask me a question. She asked me: “Why do people have to leave each other?”
Ultimately, the question was about the nature of the dunya as a place of fleeting moments and temporary attachments…as a place where people are with you today, and leave or die tomorrow. But this reality hurts our very being because it goes against our nature. We, as humans, are made to seek, love, and...

This is a piece I wrote while in the airplane…
Looking for God
By: Yasmin Mogahed
I’ve been looking for God my whole life. I just didn’t know it.
When we study those things that we all seek—in life, in a companion, in everything—we’ll find that both the believer and the atheist are actually just seeking God. See, God is the designer. Whether you’re an atheist or a believer, God is the designer of your needs, your affinities, your inclinations. And He has designed these inner drives to fit the natural order: tawheed (to seek, recognize and submit to one single...

Removing the Intruder: On Treating Love Addictions
By: Yasmin Mogahed
Every created thing yearns to fulfill its’ purpose. The eyes yearn to see. The ears yearn to hear. The stomach yearns to eat. The heart yearns to love. And inside every one of us is a created thing. It is a gigantic mass. It is a mass of affection, loyalty, and devotion. And it was created with a purpose. It was created to be given. But it was made to be given in a very specific way, to a very specific place. What we chose to do—or not do—with this heavy mass, determines our state in this life and the next.
The drive...

Don’t use Allah to get to dunya. Use dunya to get to Allah.
Don’t seek refuge from Allah with your deeds. Seek refuge from your deeds with Allah.
Don’t advocate on behalf of your nafs when addressing Allah. Advocate on behalf of Allah when addressing your nafs.